Little Miss Saldo’s captures the full spectrum of Rhea Rizzo’s identity
Silang isn’t just home for Rhea Rizzo; it’s practically a manifesto of her evolution—not just as a chef, but more importantly, as a person.
In 2021, she opened Mrs. Saldo’s and its beautiful main dining space belied the tumultuous road it took for her to get there—from the pandemic delaying construction to a volcanic eruption eradicating months’ worth of farm produce, as well as the personal doubts (“Will people come all the way here?”) she harbored. And while it wasn’t fully realized at the time, people did come.
Now in 2025, the complex is close to completion. The ground level space called The Necessary demonstrates her ability to create deceptively simple food—such as a luscious Monte Cristo sandwich and a plate of incredibly appealing Vietnamese fried egg rolls—that are just as exhilarating at affordable price points. Further down and hidden under a canopy of dense foliage is a guesthouse Rizzo originally built for herself, eventually becoming an Airbnb. Nearby is the completed wine cellar housing a variety of bottles. But it’s at her latest undertaking where she takes self-ownership to the next level.
“With Little Miss Saldo’s, I can do whatever I want with it,” she says with disarming candor.
Little miss “I can do this”
The Little Miss Saldo’s menu documents her dialogue with every person and experience in life. She distills her time working and living in Napa Valley or Bangkok, she reveals her classical French training, and even reasserts the depth and detail that comes with being married to an American. Even the interior design is shaped by a Sonoma sensibility—with floral arrangements evoking California cool, massive windows framing the lush greenery like art, and striking Jed Yabut light fixtures effortlessly cascading down the ceiling. The effect is absolutely beautiful.
“It feels like such a disservice if I don’t bring all of those [inspirations and memories] in the restaurant. And I think Little Miss Saldo’s allows for that… and that can be all over the place,” she sincerely admits. “Because I can really be all over the place.”
Not that it’s a totally bad thing. Rizzo actually takes her time in defining the concepts she has laid out in her own little Garden of Eden, especially at Little Miss Saldo’s. But as she recollects questions people have had about her food, Rizzo wonders, “Do I have to really define it? Can it just be good?”
A taste of her memories
Her business model and niche then are her own categories, plain and simple. Rizzo is a chef devoted to the process of intimate exploration. She invites guests into her memories that float between all-day breakfasts, gentle starters, and big-impact mains.
Little Miss Saldo’s menu is comprehensive, to say the least, but they charm like a painting from every angle. Both the tonnato and bistro salads taste bright with their cornucopia of vegetables and dressings. There’s an awful lot of good flavor and design in the mix, too. Her hamachi puff is a delicate work of art borne of textures, while a pop-up favorite, the barramundi with beurre noisette, makes its return alongside other staples such as the crab dip with sourdough, apple-soy flank steak, and Thai fish curry.
The use of pil-pil sauce alongside hollandaise to fill out her new mahi-mahi plate displays Rizzo’s knack for venturing into crowd-pleasing plates. The same could be said about her meat-heavy selections—the lamb ribs in mild massaman curry are cooked to a lovely fall-off-the-bone texture, with a touch of gremolata kick, while the braised veal oxtail sitting on potato puree and garnished with fried curry leaves is a surprise that evokes deep, rich flavors.
Meanwhile, desserts are elegant little plates that equally attract on first glance, but the chocolate tart and sticky toffee pudding are noteworthy choices.
Constellations that lead you back
For all her confessions about being all over the place, Rizzo is smart enough to hold back (a little) with her ideas at Little Miss Saldo’s.
But true to this little personality emerging inside her, dining here is an exercise in patience. There are a lot of sublime dishes coming out of the Rizzo kitchen, but they come at a pace that rewards you the longer you linger. And the more time you spend at her restaurant, the more you uncover the layers of memories she playfully built in each dish.
You know what else is seemingly all over the place? Constellations. And just like how these starry patterns in the sky serve as navigational instruments, Little Miss Saldo’s is Rizzo’s own personal constellation—guiding you toward luminous food at every juncture in her life.
